Distributing television advertisements over the internet

Abstract

A client processor-based system may receive software from a web site server as well as information about when commercial advertisements will be distributed over video distribution systems. This information may be used by the client processor-based system to automatically record commercial broadcast from a video distribution system. The recorded commercial broadcast may then be automatically replayed in the course of using content or services received in return for playing the commercial advertisement.

1. A method comprising:
 detecting an event;  
 in response to the detection of an event, automatically accessing an advertisement distributed over a first medium;  
 accessing content from a second medium;  
 displaying said advertisement in association with the content from said second medium; and  
 interrupting said content and displaying said advertisement.  
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically accessing the advertisement includes accessing over the second medium, information about when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 2  wherein detecting the event includes comparing the current time with the time when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically accessing the advertisement includes automatically accessing the advertisement in response to an elapsed period of time. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 1  wherein accessing said advertisement further includes automatically accessing the advertisement over a television distribution system. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 1  wherein accessing content further includes accessing content over the Internet. 
   
   
     7. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:
 detect an event;  
 access an advertisement distributed over a first medium in response to the event;  
 provide access to content from a second medium;  
 display the advertisement in association with the content from the second medium; and  
 interrupt the content and display the advertisement.  
 
   
   
     8. The article of  claim 7  further storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to access information over a second medium about when the advertisement is to be distributed over the first medium. 
   
   
     9. The article of  claim 7  further storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to access the content over the Internet. 
   
   
     10. A system comprising:
 a first interface that automatically accesses an advertisement distributed over a first medium;  
 a second interface that accesses content over a second medium; and  
 a processor coupled to said interfaces to provide access to said content with said advertisement.  
 
   
   
     11. The system of  claim 10  wherein the first interface includes an interface to a television distribution system. 
   
   
     12. The system of  claim 11  wherein the second interface includes an interface to the Internet.